Investigation Team: Dave Miller
Investigation Date: December 20, 2016 New Carlisle, Ohio
Did you know that in 1933 famous, notorious gangster John Dillinger robbed a local Dayton Bank? Here’s the story. John Dillinger’s first bank heist was stealing $10,600 from the National Bank in New Carlisle on June 10, 1933.
THE BANK
Located at 100 Jefferson Street, because it is a corner building, the front door faces at a 45 degree angle to the right straight towards the traffic light of the busiest intersection in town. Though not occupied at the present time by a business, the historic building built in 1882 is in excellent condition. My photo’s show the inside lobby area where the teller cages were located on the left side.
THE HEIST
According to FBI records, New Carlisle National Bank bookkeeper Horace Grisso walked to work on June 10th. He stopped at the bank front door, took out his keys and opened it. As he crossed the marble floor and stood behind a teller cage three men wearing handkerchiefs across their faces appeared before him. Twenty-nine year old John Dillinger said “all right buddy, open the safe“. Dillinger needed money to break out three friends from an Indiana jail where he himself was released only three weeks earlier.
Grisso retrieved a bank combination book from a drawer and fumbled with the safe lock, unable to open it due to his nervousness. “Let me drill him, he‘s stalling,” Dillinger’s partner William Shaw said. Dillinger put up his hand and said to Grisso to take his time. Just then the front door opened and a bank clerk entered. Dillinger told her he didn’t want to hurt her and had her lay on the floor. He politely laid a smock under her and tied her hands and feet with wire. Grisso opened the safe and Dillinger’s two partners emptied the safe of cash bags. Dillinger stayed by the door and tied up two more employees who entered. “You hadn’t ought to come in the bank so early”, quipped Dillinger. Minutes later Dillinger and his partners jumped into their car and sped west towards Indiana.
